Improved apparatus for distilling and refining petroleum



UNITED S'rA'rEs PATENT OEEIoE.

, JOHN ELLIs, or NEW YORK, AND EDWARD o. KA'rrELL, or RING- EAMTON, N. Y.

I MPRovED APPARATUS PoR DISTILUNR AND REHNING PETROLEUM, ac.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 63,789, dated April 16, 1867.

'To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN ELLIS, of N ew York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, and EDWARD C. KATrELL, of

Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State aforesaid, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Stills, &c.5 and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete 4description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1. is a side view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts inthe views.

Our improvement relates to a process for distilling and refining petroleum, turpentine, 8vo., and for separating evenly the lighter from the heavier products of such distillation. The

apparatus used for accomplishing these results consists of an arrangement of one or more ref torts, with appropriate condensers, pipes, tanks, &c., arranged in the order and operated as hereafter described,'or in any other order desirable; or the crude oil may be run through either one ofthe re torts two or Vthree times, and thus accomplish the same results but with less convenience and rapidity.

In Fig. 1, A is a retort, the internal arrangement of whichis shown in Fig. 2. This consists of a series of division-plates, a,-b, and c. The two `lower plates are connected to the -sides of the retort, and are perforated with holes.

The plates c are also connected to the sides, and each is provided with a large central opening, whereas plates b are concaved disks, and are not connectedto the sides of the retort, but are held in their place by the metallic shavin gs or chips B, or with any other material of a suitable nature, filled into the ispaces between .the several plates, as `shown -in Fig. 2, the purpose of which will hereafter be shown.

A' is a condenser of a like construction, and with an internal arrangement similar to that above described, and in which a are perforated plates, b' a disk, c' plate withv central opening, and B the filling of shavings. This condenser is connected with the retort A by f the pipe C and condenser D. `Within the latter condenser is a spiral tube, E, one end of denser I by the oil-pipe J. This condenser I is also provided with a spiral pipe, K, similar in construction and arrangement to that in condenser D, and is a continuation of pipe J.

L is a retort, in which is arranged a serles of plates, L', in the' position and number (which may be more or less)A as shown in the drawings, in which itwill be seen that they are of various sizes, and alternating from side to side of the retort, so as to cause one plate to cover the open sides of theothcr.

M is a condenser, constructed and arranged in the same manner as the retort j ust described, but somewhat smaller.

N is a retort, in which is arranged a rotating agitator, O, driven by the shaft and pulley O by any appropriate mechanical appliances. To this retort is connected, by the rectangular'pipe P, a condenser, Q, in which is also arranged an agitator, Q', and which is operated in like manner as the one above'referred to, and for the purpose of condensing the vapor by the aid of cold Water entering from pipe l?.

Having thus described the several parts of the apparatus, the practical operation of the same is as follows: For the separation of naphtha and benzine from petroleum, common steam is allowed to flow into the bottom of retort A through the induction-pipe c. As 1t passes upward through the perforated plates, turnings, Wood chips, &c., and around the concave central plates, and through the central openin gs of the plates c, arranged in the retort, thus becoming divided and largely diffused, 1t is met by the oil asit flows over the plates, or is retained upon their surface, and percolating through the filling of turnings or scraps, dropping from point to point and vapor1zmg the lighter portions, the vapor thus produced passes with the uncondensed steam up through 4 eral plates of the retort.

through the perforated plates, filling, concave disks, Ste., of this condenser, the steam and oil-vapor meet cold water percolatin g through the fillings, and running over the plates from the supply--pipe b. The non condensable gases pass up and escape from the condenser l'through pipe c, while the water, condensed oil rising to the top of the water flows down through pipe J, which becomes spira-l in the horizontal condenser I. This spiral oil-pipe, just before it reaches the smaller section ofthe condenser, passes directly down through the walls of the condenser into retort L, and discharges its contents upon and among the sev- The oil thus heated by the vapors in the condenser iiows over the arrangement of horizontal plates and shelves, being temporarily detained by those having a concave surface or turned-up edges. As it drops from plate to plate it is dashed into spray bythe ascending current of superheated steam which enters the retort through pipe f.

The portion of the oil vaporized by the steam passes up with the steam through the pipe S into the condenser l, and through which into the condenser M. While entering it is niet with a stream of cold Water from the pipe g, and flowing down among and over the horizontal plates yand shelves arranged therein. The steam and vapor of oil are condensed together, and run out with the Water through the pipe h into a separating-tub.

The noncondensable gases should be allowed a free chance to escape at the bottom of the condenser. The steam should be hot enough, or the oil should be run slow enough,

in this retort to va-porize all that will condense into White oil, and that which is not vaporized n retort L, being already sufficiently hot, may be permitted to 110W directly through pipe tinto retort N', Where it is to be violently agitated in a current of superheated steam from pipe j until the residuum is reduced to a gravity best adapted for lubricating purposes, when it is permitted to flow from the condenser through pipe k into asuitable receptacle. y

The steam and oil-vapor from retort N pass into condenser Q through the rectangular pipe P, a stream of cold water enters the condenser from a supply-pipe, p, and the vapors and Water are mechanically agitated together, and the products of condensation ow through the pipe m into a separating-tub.

By running crude oil or other iiuids rapidly or slowly through the retorts, or by increasing or lessening the quantity of steam or its heat, we can vaporize and condense the various products of distillation at any desired gravity. By thus minutely dividing the crude oil or any of the products of distillation to be acted on by the hot steam, we can remove evenly, almost instantly, nearly or quite all the volatile products which a given degree of heat is capable of vaporizing, and thus avoid developing an unnecessary amount of naphtha and benzine, as is done by the slow and long-continued action of heat.

When the upper retortv contains concave pans, shelves, or perforated plates with shalloW concavities, these slightly-concaved surfaces become filled with hot water from condensed steam, the oil floats on the surface of this hot Water and falls With it from point to point, and is dashed into a spray by the current of steam. Thus it is deodorized and volatilized equally, very little, if any, heavy oil is carried oif with the naphtha, and very little or no inflammable orlight naphtha is left to render the kerosene, afterward to be separated, inflammable, thus enabling the reiiner to make more kerosene which will stand the lire test than he otherwise could, for when the vapor has to be forced through several feet, or even inches, of oil before it reaches the surface, if the benzine is stopped running at 600 it Will contain more or less kerosene as low or lower than 500, and in the oil in the retort there will remain a large quantity of naphtha as light or lighter than 700. Thus it Will be seen that it is not taken off evenly, and the aim in this invention is to remedy this serious defect in the present methods of distillation. Being a process of continuous distillation, time and expense are also saved.

It is not necessary, in the case of either retort, that the steam should enter the retort at an opposite point from the oil, as represented in the drawings, for the results Will be nearly or quite as satisfactory if the steam enters through the dotted pipe t in Fig. 2, and flows down with the oil, and both enter the chamber 3, (represented by the dotted 1ines,) and the condenser takes its origin from this chamber, as represented by the dotted lines above the chamber.

What We claim as our improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. The using of steam and superheated steam for the purpose of separating and removing the more Volatile from the less volatile portions of petroleum, kerosene, benzine, naphtha, and turpentine, While these iuids are in a state of spray or drops, as specified.

2. The oil-pipes E and K, and condensingtubes D and 1, when constructed and arranged, in relation to each other and a retort, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The separating tank, tub, or tube', in com bination with an upperand under retort, for' the purpose of separating the water and earthy impurities from the oil before the latter flows into the lower retort.

4'. The using in a retort scraps of metal, wire, wire sieves, nails, turnings, or other metallic or earthen materials, or even vegetable substances, which will either form aV screen or a porous mass through which oil can trickle down, so as to expose a large surface of it to the action of heat.

5. The using in a retort or retorts a series of nearly or quite horizontal plates, shallow pans or shelves, which may be concave, or with edges turned up, plain or convex, perforated with from one to numerous openings, or Without any openings, over which oil can How and drop or run from point to point, in combination with the pipe I and coil K, so as to expose a very large surface to the action of steam, and' to form a large evaporating-surface.

6. The using an agitator in a circular or nearly circular retort for the purpose of throwing the oil into a spray or drops, so as to cX- pose every drop as far as possible to the direct action of heat, and allowing the oil or iluid being distilled to low through the retort in a steady stream, but not 'to accumulate in any considerable quantity in the retort, substantially as represented in the drawings.

7. The condensers A, M, and Q, containing internally plates, disks, turnings, or an agitator, into which the vapor of oil and cold tort L.

JOHN ELLIS. EDWARD C. KATTELL. Witnesses:

E. EVANS,

ALEX. OsTRANDER. 

